Bodkin



N Model.)

P. R. STEVENS.

BODKIN.

"No. 487,134. Patented Nov. 29, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT} OFFICE.

PAUL REVERE STEVENS, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

BODKIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,134, dated November29, 1892. Application filed September 10, 1892. Serial No. 445,513. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, PAUL REVERE STEVENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bodkins; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bodkins forrunning tape, ribbon,&c.,through drawn fancy-work, laces, &c., where it is desired to keepthe ribbon flat and at the same time disturb the drawn work as little aspossible by using an extremely-thin bodkin.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same partsare indicated by the sameletters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the bodkin holding a piece of ribbon.Fig. 2 represents a section of the device shown in Fig. 1 along the linemm thereof. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the various parts ofthe bodkin ready for assembling. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of theblank used to make the grip-piece before it is bent into shape, and Fig.5 represents the grip-piece after it is bent into shape and ready forthe insertion of the rivet.

A represents the bodkin, which is made of one piece of resilient metalbent at a to form two blades A and A The said blades are tapering, asshown, and form at their forward end where they are connected togetherablunt point, broadening at the rear end, where they carry the ribbon,tape, &c., and all the various angles of the exterior of the said bladesare rounded, as shown. Each of these blades has a slot to and arespectively, therein,and one blade has a transverse slot a adapted toreceive the dentated' arm a on the other blade.

A grip-piece B, of the form shown in Figs. at and 5, is bent at b toform a double. wedge having tapering sides b and rounded edges, asshown. Conical holes 19 are cut in these sides 1), into which the headsof the rivet B are countersunk, so that the said heads will not projectabove the surface of the said grippiece. This rivet is made of such alength that the two side plates of the clamp cannot be forced outwardbeyond the required position for clamping.

The operation of the device is as follows: The end of the ribbon isbrought over the slot a while the dentated arm a and the grippiece B arein the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thegrip-piece is thenslipped down to the position shown in full lines in the said figure atthe same time the ribbon is pressed by the teeth a into the slot a wherethe ribbon is firmly held..

It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the thickness of thebodkin is very slightly greater than that of the ribbon, and thereforethat the said bodkin may be readily inserted in the fine lace,open-work, 850., without pressing the threads very far apart. Moreover,it will be seen that the edges a and b are well rounded and cannot catchin the threads, while there are no rivets which protrude or abrupt edgesor crevices that can in any way catch in the threads of the materialthrough which the bodkin is run.

The bodkin A and grippiece B being stamped each out of one piece ofmaterial and then bent back, as shown, there is no fine adjustmentnecessary, and the article is manufactured with great facility andcheapness.

I am aware that somewhat-similar bodkins have been patented constructedwith two dentated jaws; but this necessitates anincreased thickness ofthe bodkin and prevents the device from doing very fine work and at thesame time requires a greater effort and insures greater difficulty inpushing the bodkin through the open-work.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent of the United States, is

An improved article of manufacture, to wit: a bodkin formed of twosuperimposed plates of resilient material tapering to a blunt point atone end and secured together at or near the said end, the said platesbroadening toward the opposite end and being provided near their broadends with longitudinal slots for the grip-piece, the one plate having atransverse slot near the said broad end and the other plate having aprojecting arm adapted to enter said transverse slot, together with agrip-piece bent in the middle to form two side plates and tapering, asshown, adapted to be moved along said longitudinal slots, and means forholding the two side plates at the requisite distance from each other,substan tially as and for the purposes described. 10 In testimonywhereof I afifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL REVERE STEVENS; Witnesses:

C. O. BARROWS, HENRY W. SWAsEY.

